Formation | 2001 |
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Type | Voluntary organisation |
Membership | 519 members and 51 affiliated groups (as of August 2018) |
Chairman | Peter Bryson |
The Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) is a campaign that is looking to reopen the Skipton to Colne railway line, as part of connecting the Lancashire town of Colne to the North Yorkshire town of Skipton. The line between them had been closed in 1970.
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The line between Skipton and Colne was opened in October 1848, as part of the Leeds and Bradford Railway's Shipley to Colne extension and at a cost of £67,000 (equivalent to £7,160,000in 2021). [1] With the East Lancashire Railway reaching Colne from Burnley in February 1849, and the completion of the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway in April 1849, a through route from Leeds to Liverpool was then established. Stations between Skipton and Colne were built at Elslack, Thornton-in-Craven, Earby and Foulridge. A branch from Earby to Barnoldswick was opened in 1871.
The Skipton–Colne line was not recommended for closure in Dr Beeching's 1963 The Reshaping of British Railways report; however the line closed in February 1970, with the Barnoldswick branch having earlier closed in September 1965.
The missing section of railway between Skipton and Colne is 11.5 miles (18.5 km) in length. [2]
The remaining East Lancashire line serves a conurbation of some half a million people. It is relatively under-utilised, and it is under-developed from an engineering point of view. [3] Colne is currently served by one train per hour which traverses the 50-mile (80 km) East Lancashire Line from Blackpool South railway station via Preston, Blackburn and Burnley, with many station stops at intermediate towns and with a total journey time in excess of 100 minutes. The route is affected by numerous permanent speed restrictions, particularly at junctions. The service is currently operated by Northern, with services operating using Class 150 Diesel Multiple Units.
Skipton is on the Airedale line and is served by frequent electric trains which serve Leeds every 30 minutes, with a journey time of around 40 minutes, and Bradford Forster Square every 30 minutes, with a journey time of around 35 minutes. These services are also operated by Northern, using a mixture of Class 331 and Class 333 Electric Multiple Units. Northern also operate services from Leeds to Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham Port, as well as services to Carlisle (on the Settle–Carlisle line), all of which serve Skipton. Skipton also has a direct return service to London Kings Cross operated by London North Eastern Railway (06.55 from Skipton, 18.03 from London).
Reinstatement of Colne–Skipton would provide scope for both local and regional rail services. SELRAP say the line will deliver a number of benefits to local communities, the Northwest and the UK as a whole. SELRAP's proposals include opening at least one station between Skipton and Colne. The number and precise location(s) will depend on the viability study required. Whilst SELRAP are in favour of only one intermediate station (West Craven Parkway) in the interim, the Campaign for Better Transport are also wanting to see Earby railway station re-opened too. [4] [5] [6]
A 2003 study commissioned by Lancashire and North Yorkshire County Councils from consultants Steer Davies Gleave found that the formation was largely intact and there were no insurmountable obstacles to reinstatement of the line. [7] In 2007 SELRAP commissioned a study by JMP Consultants to further assess the business case. This appraisal showed that a positive benefit cost ratio would be achieved for a single track option under most growth and cost scenarios. A double track railway achieves a positive benefit cost ratio if recent trends of accelerating demand growth are assumed to continue. [8]
Craven District Council and Pendle Borough Council are the two planning authorities within which the track-bed lies. Craven District Council protects the track-bed for transport use under planning policy SP2. [9] Pendle Local Plan also protects the track-bed under policy ENV4. [10]
At the county level, the Lancashire LEP board "Noted the robust and compelling case that the independent study by Cushman & Wakefield makes for enhanced East-West connectivity to realise the full economic potential of the Central Trans-Pennine Corridor and its role in delivering the long-term growth ambitions of the wider Northern Powerhouse". [11] Though not affected to the same degree, re-instatement is supported in North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan (LTP4) 2016 to 2045, [12] and by West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) from Network Rail gave way to the Long Term Planning Process (LTPP) which in turn is being replaced in the north of England by the Strategic Transport Plan (STP) from Transport for the North. The section of the STP [13] that applies is the Central Pennine Corridor.
On 3 February 2018, the Transport Secretary announced a feasibility study into reopening the route to passengers once again as part of the Government's plan to invite proposals to reopen many lines closed under British Rail. The study will be commissioned by Transport for the North and Network Rail [14] and conclude later in 2018. The announcement was made at Colne station and covered in the press. [15] [16]
Chris Grayling announced in January 2019 that the initial study declared the project "technically feasible". The next step was to prove the worthiness of the re-opening by the commissioning of a business case which would look at the prospect of freight services on the line making the project "commercially feasible". [17]
This line has been identified by Campaign for a Better Transport as a priority 1 candidate for reopening, [18] with support also being voiced by local and regional businesses. David Cutter, the chief executive of Skipton Building Society, said that reopening of the line would improve connectivity between East Lancashire and North and West Yorkshire. It is estimated that over 1,600 personnel who work at Skipton Building Society's headquarters in Skipton have a Lancashire postcode. [19]
Craven was a non-metropolitan district in the west of North Yorkshire, centred on the market town of Skipton.
Barnoldswick is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle, in the administrative county of Lancashire, England. It is within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire. Barnoldswick and the surrounding areas of West Craven have been administered since 1974 as part of the modern administrative county of Lancashire. This was when West Riding County Council and Barnoldswick Urban District Council were abolished and the town was transferred to the Borough of Pendle.
Colne is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. Located three miles northeast of Nelson, six miles northeast of Burnley, 25 mi (40 km) east of Preston and 30 mi (50 km) west of Leeds.
The Calder Valley line is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool. It is the slower of the two main rail routes between Leeds and Manchester, and the northernmost of the three main trans-Pennine routes.
Colne railway station serves the town of Colne, in Lancashire, England, which is situated close to Pendle Hill. The station, which is managed by Northern, is the eastern terminus of the East Lancashire Line. Trains from Blackpool South run through Preston and Blackburn to Burnley and Colne.
Foulridge is a village and civil parish in Pendle, Lancashire, close to the border with North Yorkshire in England. It is situated just beyond Colne, on the route from the M65 to Skipton, and is an important stopping point on summit pound of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, just before it enters the Foulridge Tunnel. Noyna Hill, a well known local landmark, sits 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the village.
Earby is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Pendle, Lancashire, England. Although within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, Earby has been administered by Lancashire County Council since 1974 and regularly celebrates its Yorkshire roots. It is 5 miles (8 km) north of Colne, 7 miles (11.3 km) south-west of Skipton, and 11 miles (17.7 km) north-east of Burnley. The parish had a population of 4,538 recorded in the 2011 census,
Steeton and Silsden railway station serves the village of Steeton and the town of Silsden in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated closer to Steeton than to Silsden, and is on the Airedale Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Northern.
Skipton railway station is a Grade II listed station which serves the market town of Skipton in North Yorkshire, England on the Airedale Line, which gives Skipton access to destinations such as Leeds, Bradford, Carlisle, Lancaster and Morecambe. The station is operated by Northern Trains and is situated 27 miles (43 km) north-west of Leeds.
The East Lancashire line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley and Nelson. The line formerly ran onto Skipton but this closed in 1970.
The Leeds and Bradford Railway Company (L&BR) opened a railway line between the towns on 1 July 1846. It extended its line from Shipley through Keighley to Skipton and Colne, in 1847 and 1848.
Thornton-in-Craven is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is approx 1,740 feet (530 m) from the border with Lancashire and 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Earby. Barnoldswick is nearby. The Pennine Way passes through the village, as does the A56 road. The village has a church, a primary school and a retirement home, but no shops or pubs.
Barnoldswick railway station was the only railway station on the Midland Railway's 1-mile-64-chain (2.9 km) long Barnoldswick Branch in the West Riding of Yorkshire in England. It served the market town of Barnoldswick, which was in West Riding of Yorkshire at the time. The line left the Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway at Barnoldswick Junction 55 chains from Earby railway station. The line through the junction was on a 20-chain radius after which it converged to a single track and ran in a straight but undulating line to Barnoldswick. The passenger train that ran back and forth between Barnoldswick and Earby was known locally as the 'Barlick Spud' or 'Spudroaster'. The real reason for the name is lost in time, but the two versions that were commonly recited are that the original branch locomotive was so small it looked like a portable potato roaster used by a local vendor or that the journey time was the same as that taken to roast a potato in the locomotive's firebox.
Salterforth is a village and civil parish within the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. The population of the Civil Parish at the 2011 census was 637. It lies on the B6383 road that connects Barnoldswick to the A56 road at Kelbrook. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal cuts through the village and there are several narrowboat moorings at Salterforth. The canal footpath provides a picturesque walk to Barnoldswick or to Foulridge in the opposite direction. The village also has a canal side pub, The Anchor Inn along with a lovely children's play area.
Earby railway station was a junction station that served the town of Earby, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Since 1974 Earby is within the boundaries of the administrative county of Lancashire. The station was built by the Midland Railway, on the former Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway between Skipton and Colne and opened in 1848.
Thornton-in-Craven railway station was a railway station that served the small village of Thornton-in-Craven in North Yorkshire England. It was built by the Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway and opened in 1848. It was simply known as Thornton with the in-Craven section not being added to the name until 1937.
The Leeds–Morecambe line, also known as the Bentham line, is a railway line running between Leeds, Skipton, Lancaster and Morecambe in northern England. The service is operated by Northern. The route covered by the service was historically part of the Midland Railway. The line is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead between Leeds City and Skipton- this section is known as the Airedale line.
Skipton bus station serves the town of Skipton, North Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the town centre, just off Keighley Road, and has eight stands. The main bus operators are Transdev Blazefield, Burnley Bus Company, Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire and Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire. Services that are not sustainable on a commercial level are provided by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) minibuses.
Andrew George Stephenson is a British politician serving as Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care since November 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pendle in Lancashire since 2010.
Pendle is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The council is based in Nelson, the borough's largest town. The borough also includes the towns of Barnoldswick, Brierfield, Colne and Earby along with the surrounding villages and rural areas. Part of the borough lies within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.